First,
I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith
is spoken of throughout the whole world. (Romans 01:08, NKJV).
Here's
a question, a tough question, which, when you think about it, may
make you shudder and tremble when you understand the answer.
What
is one of the first things a follower of Jesus is to do when faced
with anything pleasant or painful, scary or safe, fun or sad,
exciting or tedious? What is one of the first things a Christian is
to do upon waking up or going to sleep, or walking or sitting down?
What is one of the first things a believer is to do in response to
whatever befalls him or her?
The
answer entails (involves) more of an attitude or state of being than
an action, though it is most often an attitude that precedes (comes
before) an action. The answer is to be thankful.
So
why would that make you tremble or shudder?
Because
in some circumstances, like the tragedy of loss, or the pain of an
injury or illness, or the terror of being under some kind of threat,
thankfulness does not seem just hard, but impossible, and maybe more
than a little crazy. It certainly seems this way to the world at
times, but can often seem that way to us, as well.
But
here's the thing, remember what it means to be the called of Jesus
Christ? Remember what it means
to have God as Abba,
or Daddy?
It
is not that we are thankful for the bad in and of itself, but that in
the midst of the bad we are thankful for who we are and what we have
in Christ, and that transcends (goes far beyond) anything and
everything that happens to us in this life.
Paul
says that we should be...
giving
thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our
Lord Jesus Christ, (Ephesians 5:20, NKJV).
and
that...
in
everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ
Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:18, NKJV).
and
we are to...
...let
the peace of God rule in [our] hearts, to which also you were called
in one body; and be thankful. (Colossians 3:15, NKJV).
and...
...supplications,
prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men,
(1 Timothy 2:1, NKJV).
And
these are just four of the places he exhorts (urges) us to give
thanks and be thankful, and there are many more in both the Old and
New Testaments. In fact, some form of thanks is mentioned 138 times
in the Bible.
When
something is mentioned once in Scripture it is important, for all
Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable. When
it is repeated we should pay even more attention. When it is appears
again and again and again, it is clear that it is vital that we take
heed for our good and God's glory.
Even
in just the four times I've cited the Apostle Paul in this regard,
those verses leave nothing out; no circumstance, no person. We
are to give thanks or be thankful for all things, in
everything, and for everyone.
I
don't know about you, but if I were the inventor of Christianity,
instead of Jesus, I would not have even thought of such a thing, and
if I had, I would have discarded the idea immediately as being
impossible, nonsensical, and even a little offensive.
How
could I possibly give thanks for someone hurting me or my family? How
could I be thankful for all the evil doings and people in this world?
These
are no small issues and go right to the heart of what it means to be
adopted into the Family of God by faith.
I
believe the answer lies in what we've already covered so far in
Romans, and will be delving into repeatedly in Paul's brilliant
letter to the early church.
If
God is sovereign (has authority) over all of time and space and
Creation (and He is), if He loves us and wants us to live forever in
everlasting joy (and He does and has proven it by the Cross), and if
all things work together for good to those who love God, to those
who are the called according to His purposes, then NOTHING
happens to us outside of His control and goodness. NOTHING.
He
is either the God who He says He is, or the Bible is a lie from the
pit of Hell.
Since
we believe Him and His word, then it only follows logically that one
of our first responses to every aspect of life is an acknowledgement
of His power and good purpose. How do we best acknowledge that? By
being thankful and giving thanks.
Two
final things to consider.
First,
I do not believe that being thankful means having a fake, syrupy, and
simpering passivity to life, or to hide behind some false and sick
sense of happiness. I do not believe it means just accepting whatever
happens without doing anything to relieve pain, or protect ourselves
or our loved ones, or do nothing to fight the evil in this world, or
grieve or mourn over loss. The Bible is full of exhortations to take
Spirit-empowered actions in all those things, so thankfulness does
NOT mean doing nothing or giving up.
Instead,
it means that in the midst of all those bad things we are to always
know and be thankful for His involvement in our lives, and to trust
that He knows what He is doing, both when good things AND bad things
happen to us.
Second,
being thankful and giving thanks is something that gives us power in
life, that strengthens us and enables us to endure, survive, and
never surrender or lose hope, that puts the things of this life in
their proper perspective and reminds us that this world is not our
home. We are pilgrims and sojourners (travelers) here who look
forward to where our true citizenship is: Heaven.
Our
lives in this fallen world are meant to transform us into the image
of Jesus. It is a training ground, a refining furnace that burns away
all the dross (impurities), and prepares us for eternal life in the
heavenly places.
And
for that, above all, we are to be always thankful.
Love,
Dad
